The Benefits of Incorporating Yoga Into Your Fitness Routine

Yoga is well-known for being a fantastic form of exercise to improve flexibility and emotional and mental wellbeing, but if you think it’s not a tough workout then think again!
If you’re used to smashing it in the gym weight training or going all-out with cardio then the thought of chilling out and doing fluid movements might seem like your body won’t be achieving much, but there are loads of benefits of incorporating yoga into your fitness routine!

1) Improved Flexibility

So many people feel intimidated at the thought of attending a yoga class, but don’t worry if you can’t even touch your toes let alone do a handstand because yoga will help to improve your flexibility. As your yoga journey progresses, you’ll start to notice any tight muscles will gradually become more flexible due to the movements you’re practicing in class, and this will help you to achieve even more in yoga, as well as helping to improve your general mobility and joint comfort.

2) Increased Strength

You might think because many yoga positions look gentle and flowing, that they are easy to do and won’t demand much from your muscles. But the truth is that yoga is a full body workout, and your muscles will be worked in ways you may never have felt before! Even just raising your arms above your head and holding them there becomes so much more strenuous when you’re taught how to engage all of the muscles right through to your fingertips while doing it! Also, when you build muscular strength through yoga you’re actually doing so alongside flexibility training, so you’ll be functionally strong. Perfect!

3) Improved Core Strength, Posture, and Balance

Yoga is an excellent way to strengthen your core, which in turn helps with improving your posture and balance. This comes from holding various balancing positions, as well as other challenging flows. At first, it’s likely you’ll feel a bit wobbly in some of the positions, particularly when your center of gravity moves away from standing upright, but as your core strength and also your posture improves, so too will your balance!

4) Released Tension and Stress

Yoga doesn’t just improve your outer balance; it helps to improve your inner balance too – meaning it’s great to help improve your mental wellbeing and help you work towards achieving inner peace! If that all sounds a bit too ‘hippy’ for you, just think about it this way… Yoga encourages you to relax, slow your breath and focus on the present, so you get a chance to completely let go of any external stresses and allow yourself to be calm. Who wouldn’t want that!?